Tony Joe White

The Shine Munich****

This album has patiently awaited its turn, unhurried deep rhythms settling into that swampy groove which is the hallmark of Tony Joe White. Now 67, White looks to his Louisiana past for inspiration and to the future for consolation. It's a typically stripped-back affair – White's intimate, aged mellow vocal sitting on top and his guitar throwing in rippling embellishments as required. The 10 songs focus on memories and observations on ageing, such as the particularly rich sequence of All(about his past), Long Way from the River(the travails of touring and a longing for home), and the punched-up aggression of Strange Night(the end of an affair). Add in the bittersweet country blues of Ain't Doing Nobody No Goodand Roll Train Roll, and a closing track of stoical resignation ( A Place to Watch the Sun Go Down), and you have an album worth catching up on. See tonyjoewhite.com

Download tracks: Roll Train Roll, A Place to Watch the Sun Go Down